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  1. #1
    Left The Driveway
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    Trailer Electric Brakes Not Working

    I just purchased a 2019 GD Solitude 310 GK. Over two visits of viewing this Fifth Wheel from a private seller I felt confident that I had inspected every inch so we purchased it. After doing my usual routine (this is our third fifth wheel) of pretravel checks, we started out on the two our trip home. When I went to check the gain on my factory brake controller on my 2019 GMC, there were no trailer brakes! I felt nothing when I slid the manual brake application. After a very cautious drive home, I hooked up the old fifth wheel (have not sold it yet) and verified that the signal from the truck was good. An under body and pin box inspection of the Solitude showed no visible damage to the wiring. My question is what trouble shooting options do I have? Both trailers have the same electric brake setup, the Solitude shows no sign of after market changes to the wiring and my truck has factory wiring that worked perfect on my old Sundance. I am at a loss.

  2. #2
    Long Hauler
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    Quote Originally Posted by RayF59 View Post
    I just purchased a 2019 GD Solitude 310 GK. Over two visits of viewing this Fifth Wheel from a private seller I felt confident that I had inspected every inch so we purchased it. After doing my usual routine (this is our third fifth wheel) of pretravel checks, we started out on the two our trip home. When I went to check the gain on my factory brake controller on my 2019 GMC, there were no trailer brakes! I felt nothing when I slid the manual brake application. After a very cautious drive home, I hooked up the old fifth wheel (have not sold it yet) and verified that the signal from the truck was good. An under body and pin box inspection of the Solitude showed no visible damage to the wiring. My question is what trouble shooting options do I have? Both trailers have the same electric brake setup, the Solitude shows no sign of after market changes to the wiring and my truck has factory wiring that worked perfect on my old Sundance. I am at a loss.
    I would pull a wheel and the drum (not sun, like I originally wrote for some reason) and visually check to make sure you have brake pad material. If you do, my next step would be to adjust the brakes on each wheel.

    Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by MoonShadow_1911; 06-11-2021 at 07:49 PM.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor gbkims's Avatar
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    Like in the post - https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...l=1#post364902
    I'd pull the breakaway switch to see if the brakes energize.
    - Gene

    Kim & Gene
    2015 Reflection 317RST
    2017 Ram 3500 CC LB 4x2 6.7 CTD AISIN 3.73 DRW Auto Level Rear Air, BD3, Prodigy P3, Aux Tank

  4. #4
    Seasoned Camper
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    I chased brake issues for a *long* time on our Reflection 323BHS. Mine were intermittent for a long time, and eventually just quit working completely.
    Like Gene said, I'd pull the breakaway switch and test them. I put a compass next to each drum to see if it swung the magnet when I tested ours (the 2nd time).
    I did have a brake short out - I ended up cutting the wires to each drum and used an ohm meter to check the magnet. I think they're 3-4 Ohms for a Lippert magnet, but double check that. After replacing a magnet I thought we were in pretty good shape. Two trips later (still with intermittent) I lost all brakes and after many hours of testing magnets and connections I discovered that there was a short somewhere where the wire ran between panels (coming down from the pinbox to the underside). I eventually just got tired of trying to find it and pulled new wires and all has been well since.
    Jake and Leah, our two boys, and our Lab
    Based out of North Carolina, currently in Henderson, TX
    2013 RAM 2500 6.7L 4x4
    2015 Reflection 323BHS

  5. #5
    Left The Driveway
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    Thanks for the response but I think an easier way to test what you are talking about would be to deploy the E-brake

  6. #6
    Site Sponsor SolarPoweredRV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RayF59 View Post
    Thanks for the response but I think an easier way to test what you are talking about would be to deploy the E-brake
    Are you talking about the E-Brake in the truck?

    The only thing the E-Brake on the truck does is set the parking brake, nothing happens to the trailer when you set the E-Brake on the truck.

    Now if you are talking about the "E-Brake" on the camper itself, then you are talking about pulling the "break away switch" (the thing with a small cable that gets attached to the truck when towing), then you would be doing exactly what gbkims and Jakev383 recommended.
    David and Peggy
    2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
    Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
    Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
    Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
    2018 Solitude 310 GK

  7. #7
    Site Sponsor SolarPoweredRV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RayF59 View Post
    I just purchased a 2019 GD Solitude 310 GK. Over two visits of viewing this Fifth Wheel from a private seller I felt confident that I had inspected every inch so we purchased it. After doing my usual routine (this is our third fifth wheel) of pretravel checks, we started out on the two our trip home. When I went to check the gain on my factory brake controller on my 2019 GMC, there were no trailer brakes! I felt nothing when I slid the manual brake application. After a very cautious drive home, I hooked up the old fifth wheel (have not sold it yet) and verified that the signal from the truck was good. An under body and pin box inspection of the Solitude showed no visible damage to the wiring. My question is what trouble shooting options do I have? Both trailers have the same electric brake setup, the Solitude shows no sign of after market changes to the wiring and my truck has factory wiring that worked perfect on my old Sundance. I am at a loss.
    Short of pulling each wheel, I would jack up each wheel and pull the break away switch to see if all wheels are not working or if it is only one or two.

    I like the idea of first checking the magnetic field with a compass on each wheel as a first step in my diagnosis.
    David and Peggy
    2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
    Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
    Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
    Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
    2018 Solitude 310 GK

  8. #8
    Left The Driveway
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    I opened up the J box for the 7 pin wiring located in the pin box. Checked to see if all the wires were secure and when I got to the crimp-on factory wire nut for the trailer brake ground, one of the wires came out. Unfortunately, because of a planned trip (the last one in the Sundance), I won't know if this is the problem until Wednesday or Thursday of next week. I will keep you posted.

  9. #9
    Left The Driveway
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    Wiring issue in the junction box in the pin box was the problem. IMHO, the three wires in question, where one is from the 7 pin connector, one from the brakes themselves and one from the emergency breakaway switch. All black. The first two are much heavier gage than the breakaway wire and together was far more wire than what should have been connected by the relatively small crimp-on wire terminal. Replaced with a screw-on wire nut and brakes are back in service. Maiden voyage is on Monday.

  10. #10
    Seasoned Camper DECelt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RayF59 View Post
    Wiring issue in the junction box in the pin box was the problem. IMHO, the three wires in question, where one is from the 7 pin connector, one from the brakes themselves and one from the emergency breakaway switch. All black. The first two are much heavier gage than the breakaway wire and together was far more wire than what should have been connected by the relatively small crimp-on wire terminal. Replaced with a screw-on wire nut and brakes are back in service. Maiden voyage is on Monday.
    I wonder if they had ever worked for the previous owner
    DECelt
    2021 Solitude 310-GK
    2022 Ram 3500 CCLB diesel

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